GB2115662A

GB2115662A - Drill

Info

Publication number: GB2115662A
Application number: GB08237044A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinz Dreyer
Original assignee: Amazonen Werke H Dreyer SE and Co KG
Current assignee: Amazonen Werke H Dreyer SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1982-01-07
Filing date: 1982-12-31
Publication date: 1983-09-14
Also published as: FR2520967A1; ZA8368B; US4580508A; FR2520967B1; DE3200225C2; SU1276242A3; AT383719B; DK4483D0; ES8308671A1; AU9188182A; FI824455L; DE3200225A1; DK4483A; FI70664B; ATA2983A; CA1198319A; ES518782A0; AU558750B2; GB2115662B; FI824455A0

Description

1 GB 2 115 662 A 1

SPECIFICATION Drill

The invention relates to a drill for dispensing seeds and fertilisers, including a frame which is supported on the ground by running wheels, at least one storage container for seeds and fertilisers, and coulters which are displaceable in successive rows and in an upright plane, the seed and fertiliser products being gravitationally fed to the coulters in controllable quantities via tubular feed lines so as to introduce the products into the soil, and the coulters being individually controlled in the soil in respect of their depth of penetration by means of depth control elements.

A drill is already known from German Offe nleg u ngssch rift No. 2 552 810. A disadvantage of this drill is that clogging occurs between the coulters when the coulters are disposed in three transverse rows and the drill is used for so-called "no till" drilling method on soil surfaces which are covered by large amounts of harvest remains. It is also known, with this known drill, to dispose the coulters in four and five transverse rows, but the disadvantage with this disposition of the coulters is that the containers need to be mounted at a very high level because the feed pipes for delivering the seeds needs to be inclined at approximately 451 to ensure that the products to be dispensed flow uninterruptedly to the coulters. When the containers are mounted at a high level, it is difficult to fill them.

The invention seeks to eliminate the risk of clogging with the known drill even when it is used on soil surfaces which are covered by large amounts of plant remains, for example in 100 harvested sunflower fields or cornfields, whilst simultaneously retaining a low construction for the storage containers so that they can easily be filled.

According to the present invention there is provided a drill for dispensing seeds and fertilisers, including a frame which is supported on the ground by running wheels, at least one storage container for seeds and fertilisers, and coulters which are displaceable in successive rows and in an upright plane, the seed and fertiliser products being gravitationally fed to the coulters in controllable quantities via tubular feed lines so as to introduce the products into the soil, and the coulters being individually controlled in the soil in respect of their depth of penetration by means of depth control elements, characterised in that the distance (R) between each of the coulters in the rows which extend transversely to the direction of travel is preferably approximately 60 em in that a respective storage container is provided for approximately half the number of coulters, or for every group of two successive transverse rows of coulters, and in that the lower regions of the storage containers are disposed at a distance (D) 125 from and behind each other when viewed in the direction of travel.

These measures provided in the present invention ensure that there is no clogging between the sowing coulters. Moreover, despite the drill having a low construction with sowing coulters disposed in four transverse rows, the products to be dispensed can flow uninterruptedly since the feed pipes for delivering the seeds can have an inclination of 451 - such an inclination being required for gravitational feed.

According to the invention, provision is also made for each storage container unit to be divided into two parts by a dividing wall, as is already known from German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2 605 017 and corresponding British Patent Specification 1559887. In a preferred embodiment, the storage container units are divided into mirror-reversed or homologous parts. This leads to rational manufacturing possibilities.

In order to permit the storage container units to be easily filled, a loading platform is disposed between the two storage container units.

Further details of the invention are found in the remaining sub-claims, the description of the examples and drawings.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a drill in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 1-1, of the drill of Fig. 1.

A drill is illustrated including a frame 1 and storage container units 2 and 3 (hoppers) disposed on the frame 1. The frame 1 is supported on the ground by running wheels 4. Located at the front end 5 of the frame 1, there are the pivotal wheels 4' and the connecting means (not shown) which enables the drill to be connected to a tractor and towed thereby.

Coulters are provided in the form of bit or shoe coulters 6 and are disposed in spaced manner on the frame 1 in four successive rows by means of the parallelogram lever holders 7 so as to be displaceable in an upright plane. The coulters 6 are each controlled individually in the soil in respect of their depth of penetration via depth control elements which are in the form of rollers 8.

The depth of penetration of the coulters 6 can be centrally varied by the adjusting means 9.

The coulters 6 are each provided with respective seed inlets 10 and fertiliser inlets 11, which inlets are separate from each other so that seeds and fertilisers are deposited separately in the sowing slots 12, formed by the coulters 6, in order to prevent the seeds from being contaminated by the fertilisers. This risk of contamination is very high, particularly when fertilisers containing a high percentage of nitrogen are being dispensed.

The distance R between the coulters 6 in each row measured transversely to the direction of travel 13 is approximately 60 em so that, in the case where four transverse rows are disposed one behind the other, there results a row spacing distance r of 15 em between the sowing slots 12, or the coulters 6 respectively. Because of the large distance R between the coulters 6 in one 2 GB 2 115 662 A 2 transverse row, the drill can also operate without clogging when used on soil surfaces which are covered by large amounts of plant remains.

Moreover, the distance A between the first and second transverse rows of coulters is equal to the distance B between the third and fourth transverse 60 rows. The distance C between the second and third transverse rows is greater than each of the two above-defined distances A and B. These distances provide the drill with a stable construction which is sturdy because there is an additional transverse strut 14 when viewed in the direction of travel 13, disposed in the centre of the drill without the mobility of the coulters 6 being in any way limited in an upright plane.

The rear running wheels 4 are disposed 70 between the coulters 6 in the rear transverse row.

The storage container units 2 and 3 are each divided by a respective dividing wall 15 into two mirror-reversed homologous parts 16 and 17 of equal size. In this case, the storage container part 16 is designed to receive seeds, and the storage container part 17 is designed to receive fertilisers.

The seeds and/or fertilisers are gravitationally fed, separately, to the seed inlets 10 and/or fertiliser inlets 11 of the coulters 6 via the tubular feed pipes 19 in adjustable quantities provided by the metering means 18.

A respective storage container unit 2 or 3 respectively is provided for every group of two successive transverse rows or for half the number of coulters 6. In this case, the tubular feed pipes 19 of the front storage container unit 2 are connected to the respective seed inlets 10 and fertiliser inlets 11 of the coulters 6 in the first and second transverse rows, and the tubular feed pipes 19 of the rear storage container unit 3 are connected to the respective seed inlets 10 and fertiliser inlets 11 of the coulters 6 in the third and fourth transverse rows. The lower regions 20 of the storage container units 2 and 3 are disposed at a distance D from and behind each other when viewed in the direction of travel 13. In this case, the distance D between the lower regions 20, or between the central regions 21 respectively, of the storage container units 2 and 3 is approximately twice the distance A, B or C between the transverse rows of coulters 6.

A loading platform 22 is disposed on the frame 1 between the two storage container units 2 and 3.

Instead of shoe coulters 6, cultivator coulters or hoe coulters or other coulters may be utilised without departing from the invention.

Claims

1. A drill for dispensing seeds and fertilisers, including a frame (1) which is supported on the ground by running wheels (4), at least one storage container (2, 3) for seeds and fertilisers, and coulters (6) which are displaceable in successive rows and in an upright plane, the seed and fertiliser products being gravitationally fed to the coulters in controllable quantities via tubular feed lines (19) so as to introduce the products into the soil, and the coulters (6) being individually controlled in the soil in respect of their depth of penetration by means of depth control elements (8), characterised in that the distance (R) between each of the coulters (6) in the rows which extend transversely to the direction of travel (13) is approximately 60 cm, in that a respective storage container (2, 3) is provided for approximately half the number of coulters (6) or for every group of two successive transverse rows of coulters (6), and in that the lower regions (20) of the storage containers (2, 3) are disposed at a distance (D) from and behind each other when viewed in the direction of travel (13).

2. A drill as claimed in claim 1, in which each storage container unit (2, 3) is divided into two parts (16, 17) by a dividing wall (15).

3. A drill as claimed in claim 2, in which each storage container unit (2, 3) is divided into two mirror- reversed or homologous parts (16, 17). 85

4. A drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance (D) between the central regions (21) of the storage container units (2, 3) corresponds approximately to twice the distance (A, B, C) between the transverse rows of the coulters (6). 90

5. A drill as claimed in claim 1, in which at least one of the rear running wheels (4) is disposed between the coulters (6) in the rear transverse row.

6. A drill as claimed in claim 1, in which a loading platform (22) is disposed between the two storage container units (2, 3).

7. A drill as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance (A) between the first and second transverse rows is equal to the distance (B) between the third and fourth transverse rows, and the distance (C) between the second and third transverse rows is greater than the distance (A) between the first and second transverse rows, or, respectively, the distance (B) between the third and fourth transverse rows.

8. A drill for dispensing seeds and fertilisers substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa, 1983. Published by the Patent Office 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.

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